Zutara
by xxCerezasxx
Summary: The most Zutara specific scenes of the series done by a Zutarian. Zutaraness abound.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the first part in a little drabble series. It's essentially Zutara perspective on all the "major" Zutara moments of the seasons. Beginning of course with the Waterbending Scroll episode.**

**I do not own Avatar. If I did, Zuko and Katara would be together and have dozens of babies.**

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He catches her wrists in one smooth movement

"I'll save you from the pirates." He whispers, but it's been a long time since he's saved anyone. As a child he played "rescue" with Azula, always freeing Mei or Ty lee before Azula could "harm" them. No one asks for his help with anything anymore; he's alone and he's accepted it. He's unwanted.

"Let me go." It isn't a cry or a desperate plea, it isn't even angry. Her tone is calm, demanding, and her eyes meet his and they're wonderfully blue, like twin pools of water. He loses himself for a brief second and is surprised when he doesn't see his relflection.

"No." She struggles when he ties her to the tree; one of her soft, bronze hands slaps the side of his face before he can avoid it. The blow stings and he ties the ropes around her slim body maybe just a bit tighter then he should.

"Tell me where the Avatar is." She doesn't respond to him, she turns her head away and stares up at the moon. It casts a silver glow on her copper skin. He knows she isn't going to answer him. She could be in honest danger, blade pressed to her throat, the metal drawing a line of red blood, and she wouldn't tell him a damn thing. And if she were in danger, she would never ask for his help. He tries to convince himself that he wouldn't save her if she asked him to, and he doesn't quite know the answer.

"Fuck you." She spits at him, this time he manages to dodge her assault. He pulls the necklace out of his pocket and decides to try another method. The silk ribbon is cool between his finger tips as he dangles it absently, watching the blue water symbol reflect dim light.

"Such language, but not unexpected from a Water Tribe peasant." He twirls the necklace absently and approaches her from behind. "You need to understand, I'm trying to regain something I've lost. And in return, perhaps you can regain something you've lost?" He holds the necklace up for her to see. The girl's blue eyes widen and he can hear her gasp. He doesn't understand women's fascination with jewelry, with trinkets that mean nothing and are seemingly worth nothing as well. "No answer? Well." He summons a flame in his hand, it's bright and orange and hot, he brings it close to the necklace and the girl's expression is one of panic but her mouth remains shut. He can't bring himself to burn the piece of jewelry; he pockets it instead. "The avatar will come looking for her soon enough." He tells the pirates, and they begin to set the trap.

After the day is over, the look of horror on the pretty Water girl's face when he threatened the necklace stays with him for a long time.

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**Please review if you read. Thank you very much. ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Avatar**

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The animal's tongue strikes her neck so quickly she doesn't have a chance to even attempt and move out of the way. Her body goes numb, arms, legs, and muscles unresponsive. She falls to the ground, can't do more then draw a shallow breath and try to call out to Sokka beside her. There's a wet spot on her neck from the creature's tongue, warm and wet and sticky with saliva. Her face is so close to the dirt she can smell it, a fresh, earthy, almost metallic scent.

"That isn't a very nice way to treat your girlfriend." The dark haired woman says to Zuko, and she isn't quite sure who she's talking about. She doesn't think anyone can love Zuko, because while his exterior is good, a harsh sort of handsome(if a girl is into _Fire Nation_ men of course, and she isn't), his spirit is evil, and no proper woman can love evil.

Warm hands grip her, familiar hands, and Zuko picks her up, holds her in both arms, close to his chest as he carries her. She still doesn't have control of her muscles and her head lolls onto Zuko's shoulder, so close she's sure he can feel her breath against his neck. She catches a whiff of Zuko's scent and he smells like smoke, a sweet smoke, and he smells like heat and expensive soaps from the Fire Nation. He doesn't smell evil, and as he carries her to the animal, he carries her almost gently, and he doesn't feel evil either. His hands are hot, his chest is hot, everything about him is hot and she's certain that if she touches his face it too will have heated skin. Zuko sets her on the back of the animal behind the saddle and goes to Sokka; he throws Sokka over his shoulder with ease and throws him beside her.

The ride is bumpy, the animal jumps and sprints and it feels like she's going to be tossed off and onto the ground at any moment. The creature can clearly follow scents because they're at the abbey in only a few minutes. They jump the wall and she's sure she's going to fall when she feels warmth on her back and fingers gripping a handful of her dress. Confusion strikes her because Zuko's doing something nice and she can only assume it's a reflex to reach back or maybe Zuko's wants to keep her alive to use her scent.

They're riding on Appa later, after Zuko's defeated and Aang won't stop smiling at her, like he has some kind of hidden secret he wants to share.

"I have something for you Katara." Aang pulls her mother's necklace out and her heart skips a beat in her chest.

"How'd you get that?" She can't help but wonder if Zuko gave it back, but she's expecting too much from someone so evil.

"Zuko gave it to me." Aang is only joking and for some reason it hurts a bit more then it's supposed to.

"Awww, that's so sweet of Zuko, make sure to give him this for me when you see him." She kisses Aang's cheek and fastens the necklace around her neck; it's cool and familiar against her skin.

As they fly a hand drifts to her neck to play with the water symbol, and she wonders why Zuko bothered to keep the necklace at all.

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**Reviews would be greatly appreciated, and make me want to write more. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Avatar.**

**So I couldn't go through all the dialogue in this because I don't own Avatar and I don't remember exactly what Zuko and Katara say to each other. I apologize, and I apologize for the wait. But school comes first.**

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Azula shoves him forward roughly; his knees hit the ground and pain flares through him in white hot sparks. He rests the palms of his hands against the cold dirt and focuses on the silence, the silence that isn't silent because he can hear the faint sound of another person breathing. He glances up, hoping for Uncle Iroh, but instead his gold eyes meet blue, and he doesn't need to examine the face to know exactly who the person is. He knows the eyes because he's seen them dozens of times over the course of the months, sometimes in life and sometimes in his dreams when he's plagued with regret over tying a defenseless girl to a tree and later kidnapping her all for the sake of regaining honor.

"You." The Water Tribe girl's voice is harsh with anger, nearly dripping with it; he can almost see a puddle of fury forming on the floor. He doesn't know what to say to her and he remains quiet, stands and watches her, bracing himself for the attack he knows will come if she has any access to water.

"Me." He relaxes when he's certain there isn't a drop of water to be found. He turns away from her, faces the wall, concentrates on the gleaming green crystals that twinkle like stars as she rants at him. The girl has the right to be angry with him and he listens to each word, he feels guilt settle heavily in the pit of his stomach when she sobs and a bronze hand drifts up to toy with the water symbol of her necklace. He doesn't understand how such a trivial object can mean so much, even if it belonged to her mother, when he hears her whisper

"The Fire Nation took my mother away from me." Sympathy floods his body like water in his lungs and he wants to tell her how damn sorry he is for everything. He wants to apologize for the actions of his people so badly it nearly hurts and all he can do is offer her the tiniest bit of comfort.

"That's something we have in common." She stares into his gaze with blue eyes that shimmer with tears. It almost looks like her eyes are the surfaces of tiny pools of water. Her expression is one of amazement, sorrow, disbelief, and forgiveness. She wipes at the tears streaming down her cheeks with the backs of her hands; offers him a weak, almost apologetic smile. He feels as though he's finally experiencing the change Uncle Iroh mentioned to him. He's never imagined that the Water Tribe girl would smile at him; he still can't believe it's happening now. It's almost like he's a different person, he doesn't know if he likes the change but at the moment it isn't the most terrible part of his seventeen years of life. He gives a tiny smile of his own, his cheek muscles ache and he realizes it's one of the first times in years that he's flashed his teeth to anyone.

They sit together and he lets his eyes follow each detail of the Water Tribe girl's face and he doesn't attempt to stop himself from admitting that she's beautiful.

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**Please review if you read, reviews make me get chapters up faster.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Don't own Avatar, as I've previously stated.**

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She touches her hand to Zuko's cheek.

The skin is warm beneath her palm and fingers. It's surprisingly smooth, soft; it doesn't feel like she thought it would. It isn't rough, and she brushes her thumb below his eye. The flesh is hot, heating her fingers as she moves them along his face, gently caresses his scarred ear, feels the warmth and the smooth. She's never imagined that she would be touching Zuko the way she is. She's had her hand near his cheek once before and that was when she slapped him hard in an attempt to gain her freedom. This is different and this is tender and this isn't entirely platonic. This is more intimate then it should be and she thinks he knows it.

Zuko doesn't shy away from her hand, he remains still. She can feel his breath on her arm, steady, controlled, and hot. Zuko's jaw muscles tighten and his teeth clench when she cups his chin. It's inappropriate for her to have her skin touching his, for her palm to be flat against his face, for her to be offering what she is. For as long as she can remember she's hated the Fire Nation, hated them because they are cruel, power corrupted people, who kill and who destroy and who take without asking and without worrying about the consequences. Now she's offering to Zuko what she doesn't offer to most, she's offering to erase a physical part of his past. She's going to use the most precious water in existence on him, the man who has chased her for months and has, on various occasions, threatened her life and the lives of the people she loves and cares for.

"You don't have to." Zuko says after a long moment, his eyes meeting hers. They're so golden she has to blink, like staring into small suns, bright and alive and vibrant, radiating heat. Zuko's voice is honest, he doesn't want her to because he feels like he's forcing her to. "I've had this scar for years." Even if Zuko were still evil she doesn't think anyone deserves to be marked the way he has. The rest of Zuko's face is flawless, perfect white skin and handsome features. With the scar he's good looking and without it he'd be better looking. Zuko deserves a new face to go along with his new attitude.

"I want to." She tells him, because she does, because she suddenly wants to do this more then she's wanted anything in the last few weeks. Healing Zuko will solidify the trust between them, he'll truly be the new person he claims to be and she can rest easy knowing she's turned an enemy into a friend. They stand and stare at each other, her hand is still on his face and her eyes are still locked on his and for reasons she doesn't know she can feel her mouth drifting towards his. She wants to know if his lips are as warm as his skin and if he's really as different as he says she is. Their mouths are so close they're almost breathing into each other's faces and they're about to touch when the wall crumbles with a crash and Aang calls out to her. Aang runs to her and throws his arms around her; she hugs back and she pats the young boy's shoulder. Zuko's uncle runs to him and embraces him and it's sweet.

She walks away and she meets Zuko's eyes and she silently tells him how sorry she is that she can't heal him.

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**Please review if you read, it would mean the world to me. **


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Avatar, at all.**

**I apologize for waiting so long for an update, school doesn't permit much free time. But, I'm on break for the next week, so expect more chapters.**

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Confusion builds within his body like a flame, flickering softly at first, growing larger and larger with each passing second, absorbing oxygen until it's big and bright and hot. Azula talks and he listens, fades in and out, catches snatches of sentences, focuses on her face, watches the sadistically sweet smile. He sees Uncle Iroh out of the corner of his eyes, staring at him, waiting for him to make the decision he, even now as Azula speaks, doesn't know which he's going to choose.

Azula smiles at him again, bright white teeth and little else. His sister has long outgrown the use for emotions, hatred and apathy and rage can get a person far in the world. It takes him a long moment to realize the smile is genuine, cold, emotionless but genuine. He's briefly reminded of the Water Tribe girl then, the shy, hesitant, jovial smile, offering to solve all his problems, a _healing_ smile. Azula's grin promises death and destruction, but it is saturated with the promise of redemption, and he's waited too damn long to go home. The Water girl can't take away his scar, erase his physical shame, so he's going to do it himself, make his father love him and respect him.

Fighting follows in a miasma of fire, water, earth, and air, the smell of smoke and the hiss of steam a constant in the atmosphere. The Water Tribe girl throws his words in his face, heavies his heart with guilt, those big, blue, water-like eyes glistening with betrayal and hurt. She doesn't understand what he needs, and he doesn't expect her to. She always wants to help and doesn't realize that some things, people need to do for themselves. He attacks her, sends streams of flames in her direction, but is always careful, he doesn't like to hurt people, never has. The rush of ecstasy at singed flesh is a feeling he has never felt. It is taught that life is to be honored, cherished, how his father has corrupted such morals, he can't understand.

Then, everything goes wrong, and he's hit with the first inkling that he's chosen _wrong _as he watches the avatar fall from the sky, a limp, lifeless body. Azula is glowing with elation, smirking, a cat-like grin, all self-satisfaction and assertion of dominance. The Water Girl cradles the avatar like a child, like his mother would do, and then she leaves, rushes away, but he meets her eyes and finds they're full of tears.

_I'm sorry_.

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**Review if you read, please.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Avatar.**

**Sorry this is so short, but there isn't much to go on. And thank you to all of you who left me reviews.**

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Zuko attacks her and confusion hits her body long before his fire does. She doesn't understand, her senses are shocked but her body responds, summons water out of self defense, moving without thought. Her heart aches and she can't understand why, it beats painfully in her chest, thumping hard against her ribs, and tears sting at her eyes and she has to blink them away furiously to keep from crying. She's never hated herself more, because she trusted him, because she was dumb enough to trust him, to believe his story and fall for the golden eyes that not only look like suns but are clearly just as deadly. She goes through the motions of bending, gets angry, real force behind the waves, icicles, and streams of water she sends out. She's furious and can only thank the spirits and the gods that there isn't a dearth of water, that she can attack all she wants and unleash her fury. He doesn't deserve for her attack to be sympathetic, so it isn't, she hits him with everything she has but the pleasure when she manages to strike his body is ephemeral and she almost feels guilty.

Then there's a flash of light and the winds stop and the rocks fall. The world is deathly silent and she turns in time to see Aang falling from the sky, limp and lifeless. She catches him before he hits the ground and he isn't breathing, his skin is still warm but his chest doesn't move and panic hits her and she suddenly feels nauseous. She meets Azula's face and the princess is preening in smug triumph, a wide, animal-like grin of cold, vicious satisfaction. Her eyes find Zuko's and they look the same as they always have, as they had in the cave, only now they're clouded with uncertainty when Azula's sparkle with glee. She wants to stay and fight, make them all pay, but she needs to heal Aang so she rushes off.

The spirit water glows and shines when she presses it to Aang's skin. For a moment the boy is motionless, not breathing, but then his eyes open to a sliver of grey and he smiles at her, a weak, boyish smile and the worry in her heart melts away. He's going to be alright. She holds him close and stares down at the captured city, her eyes are drawn to the palace and she thinks she can see Zuko's figure staring up at the sky.

_I'll never forgive you._

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